AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Archie chattered on until her eyes began to close, she held him tight until Charlie walked in. She felt him tugging Archie from her hands and let go. Charlie’s animation matching the little boy’s energy.
“So, I heard you and Tracy went out with Angelo today. Tell me all about the animals you saw, squirt.”
“I’m not a squirt. I’m squishy. Grandma Lena said so.”
“Fine, squishy.” There was laughter in Charlie’s tone. “Tell me about the animals. Then you can watch me do some math and help me add up some numbers.”
There was a giggle now and then as numbers were announced. Then their voices drifted in the background as sleep took over her weary body.
“Welcome to Goat’s Ice Cream Shop! What can I get you?”
A familiar chuckle followed the tinkling bell, and she looked up to find one of her cousins walking in. Billy Bennett was handsome, charming, and looked like a brute, but he had always been the type to never judge anyone.
“Hey, cousin. Do you have that hazelnut thing you gave me the last time? And do you have it in pint form?”
She recalled the chocolate-rich one and nodded. “Hey, Billy. How many pints do you want?”
“A dozen pints please…or wait, make it two dozen.”
Alexa blinked. “Two dozen in one go? Isn’t that too much…oh.” Comprehension dawned. “Does Iz love hazelnut?”
At the mention of his mate, he grinned. It lit his whole face up.
“She finished the store brands I took home—two pints—so I figured she would like the special ones better.”
And he was spoiling the woman too much, but even she couldn’t complain about how chummy the two had been ever since they got together and overcame their obstacles. She got to taking the pints out of the back freezer and transferring them into a box, then carrying the box to the counter. At his continued perusal of her, she placed the box back in the front freezer and gave him a suspicious look.
“Let me guess. This order isn’t just because you want to spoil her with ice cream.”
Billy’s face gleamed. “Oh, I want to spoil her with ice cream.”
“But…”
“How many jobs are you working now?”
The direction of the conversation wasn’t what she was expecting, so she tilted her head and scrutinized him in turn. Then she shrugged.
“This one, and the cake joint on the weekends. Then there’s the laundry shop. I supervise there mostly.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Under that horrible manager that I met the last time?”
She winced, recalling how Patty had been in a terrible mood and making snide comments when Billy had visited. She refrained from telling him that had been one of Patty’s better bad moods.
“Where is this conversation going, Billy?”
He pursed his lips. “What if I tell you that you can quit that awful job, and I can give you a gig?”
“I’m not working in your brewery, Billy. You already have a good team there, and there’s no need for an extra person.”
Translation:Don’t hire me out of pity.
Billy didn’t look reprimanded, only more excited. “I’m not talking about the brewery. I’m talking about a favor I owe someone and needing someone else to do it for me. Just a few painting sessions with you posing for the artist. That’s it.”
Just that one word—artist—sparked her soul, but she was careful with her reaction.
“Sounds easy enough. Who’s the artist?”
“Edmund.”
